5 Traits of GREAT Managers

It's hard to pinpoint the traits of great managers — the personal and professional qualities that make them so effective at driving organizational success. However, we've identified five crucial traits that can make a good manager outstanding, along with five leaders who exemplify these characteristics. How many of these five qualities do you embody?

1. Commitment to Developing Employees

While even a bad manager might get decent results in the short term by squeezing their team, the best managers develop their people, because talented, empowered employees are well-positioned to deliver long-term results that make everyone successful. Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch is a perfect example. In his book, Winning: The Ultimate Business How-To Book, he sums up his management philosophy like this: “When you were made a leader, you weren't given a crown. You were given the responsibility to bring out the best in others.”

2. Exemplary Communication Skills

Communication is a two-way street that requires listening well and speaking openly and honestly in a way that everyone can understand. Communication should never stop; it's the lifeblood of any viable business and the only way a company can help make sure that all employees and stakeholders stay on the same page. Walter Montgomery, a retired CEO who's helped many businesses, says that whether a company succeeds or fails, “depends heavily on skillful communication,” according to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Montgomery has seen giant companies disappear because of their managers' inability to communicate.

Chuck Leddy is a humble, intellectually curious, and fast-learning digital content developer/writer in Boston with a focus on employee engagement, leadership, and wellness. As a content developer, he’s worked for B2B clients such as ADP, GE, American Express OPEN Forum, Cintas, Office Depot, the National Center for the Middle Market, and more.